1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fire extinguishing equipment and, more specifically, to a system and method for controlling and extinguishing wild fires by applying a controlled flow of a liquid, similar to a rain storm, over the area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When fighting wild fires, quickly reaching the area and attacking the fire greatly improves the chances of restricting the fire and reducing damage to both property and life. Unfortunately, many wild fires are in areas where it is difficult for humans to reach. Because of this problem, aircraft has been used to fight wild fires.
In general, some type of liquid delivery system is used in the aircraft for fire fighting. When fighting a wild fire, the aircraft will make a single pass over the area and the liquid delivery system will drop all of the liquid during that single pass. In general, the aircraft will open the delivery doors and drop all of the liquid on a specified target area. Most liquid delivery systems do not allow one to control how the liquid is delivered.
When fighting fires, it is best to drop the liquid in a controlled and predetermined ground pattern to ensure the best possible coverage to extinguish the fire. Different drop patterns are desirable for different types of fires. In general, it may not be best to drop all the liquid at once in a single location as most liquid delivery systems do.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved system and method for ariel delivery of a liquid to fight a wild fire. The improved system and method for ariel delivery of a liquid will allow one to provide a constant flow of liquid over an extended area in order to fight a wild fire. The improved system and method for ariel delivery of a liquid will allow one to provide a constant flow of liquid over an extended area in order to fight a wild fire and control the amount of liquid dispersed.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for ariel delivery of a liquid to fight a wild fire.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for ariel delivery of a liquid which will allow one to provide a constant flow of liquid over an extended area in order to fight a wild fire.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for ariel delivery of a liquid which will allow one to provide a constant flow of liquid over an extended area in order to fight a wild fire and control the amount of liquid dispersed.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a system for dispensing a liquid from an aircraft to extinguish a fire is disclosed. The system has a container for storing the liquid to extinguish the fire. A boom is coupled to the container. The boom has a hollow interior section and a plurality of openings formed on a bottom section of the boom for dispensing the liquid from the container.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a system for dispensing a liquid from an aircraft to extinguish a fire is disclosed. The system comprises a container located in a body of the aircraft for storing the liquid to extinguish the fire. A boom is coupled to an exterior section of the body of the aircraft and to the container. The boom has a hollow interior section and a plurality of openings formed on a bottom section of the boom. The openings are used for dispensing the liquid from the container. A pump is coupled to the container and the boom for dispensing the liquid from the container and out through the boom. A rotating mechanism is coupled to the boom for rotating the boom.